Easy

by The Easybeats

Overview

Their first album, not available outside Australia until the 1990s. The Vanda/Young songwriting partnership had yet to dominate the band in their early days, and most of the (entirely original) material here comes from the pens of George Young and singer Stevie Wright. It's more Merseybeatish and less oriented toward power-pop and staccato guitar attacks than their subsequent releases, which isn't really detrimental; it doesn't scale the peaks the band would shortly climb, but neither does it have the overdone good-time mania that made some of their efforts hard to take in more than limited doses. A fairly consistent, if not incredibly remarkable, relic from the Beat era, with some very Beatlesque tracks, including "It's So Easy," "I Wonder" (on which Harry Vanda sounds a lot like a young George Harrison circa "Do You Want to Know a Secret"), and cuts that could pass for the Searchers ("I'm Gonna Tell Everybody"), Gerry & the Pacemakers ("Hey Girl," "A Letter"), the Merseybeats ("Cry Cry Cry"), the Kinks ("You'll Come Back Again"), and Peter & Gordon ("Girl on My Mind"). Stuck in the middle of all of those delightfully derivative treasures is the most defiantly original track off the album, and (not coincidentally) their first big Australian hit, "She's So Fine," which doesn't sound like anything else here, pulsing with energy, a hot pumping bass part, and a ferocious guitar break. The Repertoire Records CD reissue enhances the original album significantly with the addition of eight bonus tracks, including five jewels from the Vanda/Young songwriting team. ~ Richie Unterberger & Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2023
Label:	Albert Productions / Alberts / Warner Bros.
UPC:	4050538922462
Rank:	38271

Tracks

Disc 1

1. It's So Easy
2. I'm a Madman
3. I Wonder
4. She Said Alright
5. I'm Gonna Tell Everybody
6. Hey Girl
7. Shes So Fine
8. You Got It Off Me
9. Cry, Cry, Cry
10. A Letter
11. Easy Beat
12. You'll Come Back Again

Disc 2

13. Girl on My Mind
14. Ya Can't Do That
15. For My Woman
16. Say That Your Mine
17. The Old Oak Tree
18. Friday on My Mind
19. Lisa [Alternate Mix]
20. Find My Way Back Home
21. No One Knows
22. She's so Fine [Live]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Easybeats   Primary Artist
Harry Vanda   Guitar
Little Stevie Wright   Vocals
Dick Dimonde   Bass
Gordon Fleet   Drums
George Young   Guitar (Rhythm)

Technical Credits

Harry Vanda   Composer,Group Member
Stevie Wright   Composer
Glenn A. Baker   Liner Notes
Dick Diamonde   Group Member
Ted Albert   Producer
George Young   Composer
Stephen Wright   Group Member